Winter Wonderland
by Canvas-PaintedWithDreams
Summary: Forwood. Basically what the title since. Christmas celebrations in Mystic Falls :D


"You're slower than my grandma, Gilbert!"

Looking over his shoulder, he lets out a deep laugh. Jeremy was a good block and a half behind him, but considering how far behind he would fall when they had first begun, this was some major improvement for the boy. Tyler squints up at the sunlight that breaks through some of the clouds overhead and takes in the cold, winter air. God, he loves a good run.

When he reaches his front steps he jogs up and opens the door, running a hand through his hair. "We're back!"

No response.

Crap. Were they out longer than he thought? _Care is going to kill me._

Turning, he watches Jeremy stumble through the door, nearly gasping for breath. Tyler stifles a laugh and Jeremy glares. "Shut up, Lockwood."

"You're getting better," he offers.

"There you two are!"

Oh, shit.

She is at his side in less than a second. "Caroline," he says slowly, cautiously.

"Where have you been?" she nearly shrieks and the two boys wince and flinch away from her high pitch.

"I told you that we were going to go for a jog like we always do."

"On today of all days?"

He holds his hands up slowly. "Look, we're sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't realize how long we were out. We didn't mean to be long."

Behind him, Jeremy lets out a breathy laugh. "Chill, Care."

Tyler resists smacking him and shoots him a Now you've done it kind of look.

"Chill? Chill?" she seethes. "Jeremy Gilbert, don't you dare tell me to chill when I've got a lot of crap to do and—"

Bonnie comes bounding down the staircase and gets between her friend and her boyfriend, laughing in that nervous, trying-to-break-the-tension way. "Caroline," she says calmly, "we've still got a lot to do, and at least they're here to help now, okay?"

Tyler looks at her expectantly.

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. You two are so lucky I don't have the time right now to kick your asses."

And with that, she spins on her heels and storms off.

Bonnie sighs. "She's just a little edgy."

"You think?"

She points an accusing finger at Jeremy. "You're not helping! You're just lucky I can distract her."

He sighs and moves to hug her, but she steps away. "Go shower first," she orders, turning to look at Tyler. "Both of you."

"Yes, ma'am."

You could always count on Caroline to deliver above and beyond in such a short time span. She had successfully organized and turned the Lockwood mansion into a Winter Wonderland that could give DisneyWorld a run for their money, all in a couple of hours. As he steps into the foyer, he hardly recognizes his own house beneath all of the silver and white and sparkles.

He sees a blur go down the staircase and laughs as he catches her wrist. She frowns at him and tugs, but his grip keeps her in place.

"Tyler!"

"Care, you need to slow down, or else everyone will notice you're going faster than humanly possible."

She sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm just—so much still needs to be done. The food is on its way and we still have to move furniture and I haven't even been to my house since dawn and—"

"This place looks amazing."

He says it partly to shut her up, but also because he knows she needs to hear it.

She exhales an exasperated breath but smiles at him. She laces their fingers together and pulls him closer, laughing silently before pressing his lips to his.

In the back of his mind, he toys around with the idea of telling her to forget the food and decorations she spent hours on the phone ordering, to forgot all of the exhausting work she has put into this one evening, to forget the party that she has been fretting over for weeks, and just ditch with him, spend the night their way.

(She'd probably hit him if he said that.)

When she pulls back, she lets out another sigh and leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"Anything you need, I'm here for you."

She smiles and places her keys in his hands. "Hang up the lights? They're all in my trunk." And she is gone before he can blink.

Damn. She's good.

She is wearing a strapless, full-length white dress with an empire waist, jet black beading, and a bodice.

Or, so she has been telling him.

It was just a dress to him, though he can't say he has anything to complain about when she descends the staircase in it with her heels and makeup and hair all done. She only stops her rambling to smirk in satisfaction at the way his jaw hangs open a little and his eyes are wider than usual. "Like what you see?"

He smirks back and places his hand at the small of her back, eyes tracing over her in appreciation. "If I answer that, you'll probably hit me."

She tips her head back and laughs. (It's the most relaxed he's seen her all day.)

"Probably."

He pulls her closer. "Are you ready for tonight?"

"Are you really asking me that?" she questions with a raise of an eyebrow. "I am determined to make this night perfect."

"You're just saying that because you had an episode over Thanksgiving," he murmurs into her ear, laughing at the way she scowls at him.

"Never bring it up again," she growls. "Damon was so lucky Elena was there to hold me back or else there would have been a stake through his heart!"

"Come on, in the end, Jenna, your mom, and mine didn't figure anything out." He smirks at her. "It was hilarious."

"There is nothing hilarious about swapping the wine out with blood and the stuffing with kibble!"

"This party is amazing."

Caroline sighs and links her arms with the brunette beside her. "For five hours of hauling ass, it better be. We started so behind schedule and everything kept changing at the last minute. I still think there could have been so much more. God, what was he thinking with those lights? And—" Stopping herself at Elena's amused smile, she sighs, "Sorry. It's habit."

"That's because you're paying too much to the tiny details," Elena informs. "Another Caroline Forbes masterpiece, if I do say so myself."

She purses her lips. "Do you really think so?"

"Definitely, Care."

"Well," she reconsiders as she looks around, "I guess you're right. At least it was all worth it in the end."

"What are you two doing just standing around?" They turn to see Bonnie walking their way, a glass in one hand while the other clung onto Jeremy's arm and half-dragged him along with her. "You're not going to dance or something?"

Caroline shares a look with Jeremy.

Elena raises an eyebrow in half-amusement, half-concern. "Should you be drinking that?"

Bonnie scoffs and raises it to her lips again. "Please, this is only my second, and I'm not that much of a lightweight anymore."

"I beg to differ," Jeremy mutters under his breath.

She glares at him.

"Well, why aren't you dancing, then?" The voice comes from Damon, who strolls over to where they are standing. "Or is it too fun for you?"

Bonnie rolls her eyes while the rest of them laugh teasingly. However, at that moment, she sets down her drink and turns to Jeremy, telling him "Let's dance" and taking him with her with no room for protest, and they watch the pair in amusement. Considering how quickly she used to get wasted, this was an improvement.

"Caroline, this place is incredible," Damon compliments as she looks around.

She smiles in satisfaction. "It is, isn't it?" Grinning cheekily, she adds, "I'm kind of awesome."

"And incredibly modest."

"Damon," she says, shooting him a teasing yet challenging look, "you're lucky I even let you come considering what you did at Thanksgiving."

"You say it like I committed a capital offense." At her glare, he rolls his eyes. "Fine. Thank you for inviting me, Caroline."

"You're welcome Damon."

They pause to hear the upbeat song die down and switch to a much slower tempo. Damon quirks an eyebrow and flashes Elena one of his partial smile, partial smirk kind of looks that makes her arch an eyebrow. "Would you like to dance?" he asks, making a grand gesture of it, and Elena laughs and tilts her head in amusement, taking his arm.

Caroline and Elena exchange knowing smiles as the pair head onto the dance floor.

As her eyes wander, Caroline spots Tyler and Stefan chatting with some of their teammates on the football team. When their eyes connect, he smiles in that way that makes her bite her lower lip.

He quickly bids a farewell to his friends and, with Stefan following shortly, weaves through the crowd until he makes it to her. She beams brightly and tries not to act too excited as he leans over and whispers huskily into her ear for a dance.

"Of course."

She hears Stefan ask Rebekah, who had arrived a couple of minutes ago, to dance as well, and as they step onto the dance floor, she spots Damon and Elena nearby and Jeremy and Bonnie a few feet from them.

"You know," he says lowly as they begin dancing, "as much as I hate to admit this, I kind of worried about how to do this."

She knits her eyebrows together. "What are you talking about?"

He smiles. "God, you look beautiful tonight." She blushes at the ease he says this with, and bluntly, as if it should be obvious. "I know I don't say this enough, but you know I love you, right?"

"I love you, too." She blinks at him in surprise at his sudden declaration. "Tyler, where is this coming from?"

He laughs, and then she feels it—something cold with a little weight to it being slipped onto her wrist. She looks down and sees him fingering one of the charms of a charm bracelet that certainly hadn't been there at the beginning of the party.

"I figured you'd like it more than a card," he teases lightly.

When their eyes connect, his eyebrows raise (but not necessarily in surprise) as they find hers watery.

She smiles and presses their lips together eagerly in a passionate kiss, only parting because their surrounding friends began to whistle and holler. "Merry Christmas, Care."

"Merry Christmas, Tyler."


End file.
